What to do when a Comerica account holder dies
Contact Comerica's Comerica Wealth Management — 6-step process, 5 required documents, and pod accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. estate settlement can take months to years depending on estate complexity.
Brand change
Fifth Third Bancorp completed its merger with Comerica Incorporated on February 2, 2026, forming the 9th largest U.S. bank (approximately $294 billion in assets). Comerica banking centers continue to operate under the Comerica brand; as of mid-2026 comerica.com identifies the bank as "Comerica Bank, a division of Fifth Third Bank, N.A." The full brand and system conversion to Fifth Third Bank, N.A. is expected in the third quarter of 2026 (over Labor Day weekend, per Fifth Third), when account numbers, debit/credit cards, and digital banking credentials migrate to Fifth Third's platform. Until then, existing Comerica accounts, debit cards, phone numbers, and online banking remain active. Effective February 2026.
Comerica is now part of Fifth Third Bank. The procedures below reflect Comerica's accounts during the transition. View the Fifth Third Bank estate planning page.
Death Claims
Comerica Bank, PO Box 75000, Detroit, MI 48275
When an account holder at Comerica passes away, the next step depends on how the accounts were set up. Accounts with beneficiary designations or trust ownership transfer outside of probate. Accounts titled solely in the deceased's name require the estate's legal representative to work with Comerica's Death Claims (1-800-266-3742) to access and distribute the funds.
Comerica offers an online claims portal that makes the initial filing process more straightforward. Survivors can also initiate claims by phone or by mailing documentation directly.
Deposit, investment & retirement accounts
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Comerica requires:
Filing a claim
- POD accounts: beneficiaries provide government-issued ID and ownership passes directly
- Non-POD accounts: executor provides Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court
- Trust accounts: successor trustee provides trust documentation and identification
- Value the estate by marshalling assets and determining liabilities
- Publish notice of death to inform creditors
- Pay debts, liabilities, and funeral expenses from the estate
Required Documents
- Certified death certificate
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for non-POD accounts)
- Trust documents (if trust-owned account)
- Court-issued grant of probate (if applicable)
What to know at this institution
Comerica Estate Settlement Services provides comprehensive administration support with knowledgeable professionals. Comerica has been named executor, successor trustee, or personal representative in all 50 states. For retirement plan death benefits, complete the Pension Services Notification of Death form and mail to: Comerica Pension Services, PO Box 254706, Sacramento, CA 95865-4706, or fax to 916-384-2134. For pension account information, call 888-366-2687 or visit comericaretirement.com.
Mortgage and home lending
Mortgages and home equity loans are liabilities, not assets. They do not have beneficiaries and cannot be retitled to a trust. When a borrower dies, the loan obligation transfers with the property to whoever inherits it. Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Act, the lender cannot accelerate the loan or call it due when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, or the borrower’s revocable trust.
- Full legal name
- Social Security number
- Loan number
- Continue making payments on existing terms
- Apply for loss mitigation
- Assume the loan, refinance, or pay off the balance
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued photo ID for the heir or personal representative
- Completed Successor in Interest documentation (obtained from Mortgage Servicing)
- Documentation proving ownership interest in the property: probated will, court order, recorded deed, or trust document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if going through probate)
- Marriage certificate (if surviving spouse)
Claims Contact
Phone: 1-800-867-5188
Comerica Bank, PO Box 75000, Detroit, MI 48275
What to know at this institution
Under the federal Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act (12 U.S.C. 1701j-3), Comerica cannot enforce a due-on-sale clause when the property transfers to a surviving spouse, child, relative upon death, or the borrower's revocable living trust. Confirmed Successors in Interest are treated as borrowers under CFPB mortgage servicing rules and are entitled to account information and loss mitigation options. General customer service: 1-800-266-3742. Following the merger with Fifth Third Bancorp, mortgage servicing is expected to transition to Fifth Third Bank in the third quarter of 2026.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Comerica
Comerica accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Comerica's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionOpening an account for the estate itself
Checks made out to the estate deposit into an account titled to the estate, opened by the appointed executor or administrator under the estate's EIN.
How to open an estate account at Comerica →Processing timelines at Comerica: POD accounts pass directly to beneficiaries. Estate settlement can take months to years depending on estate complexity. Incomplete documentation is the most common cause of delays—submitting all required documents with the initial claim helps avoid additional processing time.
Documentation required by Comerica includes Certified death certificate, Government-issued ID for beneficiary, executor, or successor trustee, and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (for non-POD accounts), along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On death of the account owner, ownership of the POD account passes directly to the POD beneficiaries. The account is not part of the party's estate, allowing assets to bypass probate and transfer without court involvement.
Contact Comerica at 1-800-266-3742 or visit a banking center to notify them of the death. You will need a certified death certificate and government-issued ID. For POD accounts, ownership passes directly to named beneficiaries. For non-POD accounts, the executor must provide Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from probate court. For trust accounts, the successor trustee provides trust documentation. For pension or retirement plan death benefits, complete the Pension Services Notification of Death form and submit to Comerica Pension Services.
Comerica's Death Claims can be reached by phone at 1-800-266-3742 and fax at (313) 963-6347 for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Comerica accounts, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Death Claims can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Comerica primary sources (26 pages reviewed). How we research.
Death Claims
Comerica Bank, PO Box 75000, Detroit, MI 48275
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